An Arc Affair
by AtinBralor
Summary: Set post Umbara and explores the blossoming friendship between Fives and Tup.
1. Chapter 1

This is set directly after Umbara; the first Clone Wars arc to make me sob like a child.

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An Arc Affair – Chapter 1

The landing bay was a flurry of activity as the gunships came in to land and deposited the exhausted troopers on the durasteel. Those with injuries were ferried off to the medbay while everyone else was dismissed and allowed to their respective quarters on board the Resolute.

The 501st and 212th made their way along the endless corridors to the large communal quarters – unlike most humanoids who craved a space of their own, clone troopers took comfort in numbers. It was always hard to come home to rest and see the empty bunks of brothers lost. It rubbed salt in an already painful wound. Some undressed and climbed straight into bed; others stripped off and hit the showers first.

Fives was among those who shucked the armour and climbed straight into his bunk, above the empty one that had belonged to Echo. His brother hadn't been replaced and he now worked alone – a more normal situation for an ARC - and nobody had wanted to intrude and take Echo's bunk space, so the bunk had stayed empty and neatly made, just as the ARC had left it months before.

His bunk marked the extents of the area used by the 501st, meaning he could rest on his right hand side and survey his brothers without much effort. Rex passed him and gave a tired smile, piling his belongings on his bunk opposite. He usually had words of confidence for the men after a hard campaign, but this time he was silent; nothing could be said.

Kix and Jesse had ambled back from the freshers and climbed into bed, chatting in low tones. Appo and Coric were still undressing, not looking to have the energy to rush. He scanned along the newer additions, trying to match armour patterns and hairstyles to names. He recognised the young trooper who had bravely tackled and stunned Krell. He knew him by sight but still hadn't committed his name to memory. _So many change overs and deaths, it became difficult to keep track._ He was a good soldier though; cautious but thoughtful and brave. A good combination in a soldier. It was often the newer guys who took the worst hits; they weren't seasoned in true battle and, unfortunately, most never go the chance to gain experience. He must have lost close his close brothers on Umbara. _Osik, it was like Rishi all over again. _He closed his eyes tight against the unwelcome memories. _Sleep…just sleep._

He didn't sleep well, dozing in fits and starts. A brother in the 212th had woken screaming, having to be comforted into silence by those around him. Not long after the quiet had settled again he heard someone leave the quarters; bare feet padding, almost silently, past him. He waited for a few moments then got up to follow. Sleep wasn't coming easily and he felt a moral duty to ensure the brother was okay. He slipped off the bunk and pulled on the lower half of his fatigues, leaving the top in his locker. He'd normally put more on, but as long as everyone was still sleeping, he was unlikely to bump into the General's padawan.

Sometimes he felt that this area of the ship should be out of bounds for females, since it was the only place where they were allowed to relax; but then there were female Jedi generals so the idea quickly fell down. Any general needed access to their troops at any time. Captain Rex had set a strict system of rules demanding full fatigues anywhere outside of the quarters or the gym, to prevent any awkward situations. Fives couldn't see the point, personally; as a male he had nothing above the waist that was indecent, unless you deemed scarring indecent…and the young Togrutan went around in barely decent clothing herself. It was double standards, but Rex had firmly stated that she was 'only a kid' and didn't know any better. Fives had murmured that technically they were younger than her but had been overheard and chewed out. Being an ARC didn't gain any points with Rex and it had taken Fives weeks to regain his respect; he'd learnt to keep his mouth shut.

As he left the quarters he saw the trooper heading into the gym. He didn't call after him; he just idled for a few minutes to make it seem less like he was pursuing. Everyone was prone to being a little jumpy after a battle, never mind one as dirty as Umbara, and he didn't want to risk unsettling him further. When he felt that a suitable time had passed, he slipped through the door with casual ease.

He wandered nonchalantly over to where the younger man had settled to lift weights and perched on the bench in front of him. "Can't sleep?" He could see the slight tremor at the full extent of the lift; aching, exhausted muscles or maybe a minor injury. There was nothing visible but he still shouldn't be lifting weights. He reached a hand out to prevent him lifting again. "You'll hurt yourself. Rest a bit. My names Fives."

The other man lowered the weights back into the cradle and gave his shoulder a firm rub to ease the ache. "I know. Pointing a gun at a brother focuses your mind on their name." A haunted looked flicked across his face but he shook his head and held out a hand. "Tup." He was clenching and unclenching his muscles in nervous tension, unable to stay still.

Fives shook the proffered hand and beckoned towards the middle of the gym. "Would you like to spar – get some stress out? I'll go easy on your sore arm."

Tup leapt to his feet, desperate to exhaust himself and push away the memories. "Don't go easy, I want a decent work out."

They came together, wresting for superior grip, each trying to bring the other down on to the mats in a firm hold. They were relatively well matched but soon Fives' superior training won through and got Tup pinned below him, holding for a few seconds before pulling him back to his feet. This pattern continued; the times between success getting shorter as Tup for more frustrated and less careful. Eventually he flopped back onto the mats and refused all of Fives' attempts to raise him.

Fives stood over him, watching his expression carefully. "Did you lose close brothers?" He'd seen the empty bunk all around him as they prepared for bed.

Tup didn't reply for a few minutes, just staring past the ARC at the ceiling. Eventually he reacted. "Sol, Tek, Ink, Crash…Dogma…all of them. It's just me left. Dogma…" He took a sudden deep breath as if in pain, holding it for the count of three before exhaling slowly; trying to keep his emotions under check. "…he made a mistake but he was a good guy. He just did things by the regs all the time. We're meant to obey Jedi and he could only see that in black and white terms. They never gave us training for handling the situation when your Jedi happens to turn dark." He was tensing his muscles again, balling up his fists then stretching his fingers out straight. "What'll happen to him? We're never gonna see him again are we…" He swallowed audibly, keeping his eyes clear of his brother's gaze.

Fives stepped back a little to avoid crowding him. "I'm sorry about your brothers." He thought for a few minutes. "Dogma was wrong though. He was willing to execute us…he turned his gun on you…" He folded his arms across his chest. "Good men don't threaten their brothers. Even if we were to forgive his shutdown over shooting myself and Jesse, you can't excuse threatening you."

Tup was on his feet in threateningly quick time. "He was scared, Fives, he was scared. He did things by the book. That's just how he was…it wasn't that he wanted to see you executed." The tension in his body was visible, making him tremble. He wasn't upset anymore; he was angry. "This is why I came here. I don't need told he was wrong by those who didn't know him."

"I'm sorry, Tup, there's no redeeming himself after his handling of the situation." He took a slight step back to ease the pressure of the situation. "My brother Echo…"

He never got the rest of his sentence out because Tup had launched himself at him, rolling and grappling on the floor. It was a vicious attack and he kept his guard up without hitting back, trying to get him pinned but this time the raw emotional energy was enough to keep Tup in control. His clenched fist had come down on Fives' chin and then as he dodged, the second blow glanced off his throat.

His instant reaction was to gasp but he found he couldn't get a breath and his body's desire was to gag in reaction to the feeling. He choked in a few breaths; his hands up to protect his face. "…'up…Tup." He coughed on what little air he was getting. "Can't….breathe…g'off…"

Tup leant back, seeming to snap out of his mindless assault, still straddling the ARC's stomach. "Are you okay?" He realised that his weight wasn't helping any so he shuffled off and helped him to sit up, patting his back as he coughed and gasped. "Can you get your breath?"

Fives gave a half nod, feeling better for sitting up. It was getting easier to breathe now that the initial panic had worn off. He reached a hand up to rub his throat. "Echo's gone…Tup. I wasn't…trying…to rub…your loss in…your…face." He panted, his chest heaving and aching with the fading panic of suffocation. He sat still for a few minutes, sucking in breaths and focusing on solving the aching before he spoke again. "He was a by the regs guy. I just wanted to say I understand what it's like having a brother who is strict with the regs." _It wasn't entirely true. In his fit of frustration he had intended to say how a good soldier could be black and white with regs and still do what's right for his brothers, but he felt bad for thinking of saying something like that. It wasn't Tup's fault that his brother had made mistakes. He was having a hard enough time dealing with the loss, without discourteous words from anyone else adding to the sting._ He felt Tup rest his forehead on his left shoulder with a fragile sigh and from the slight dampness on his bare skin he knew that he had shed tears. He reached his right arm across ruffle the younger man's hair which had begun to work loose of its topknot. He'd never met a brother who didn't keep his hair military short or shaved but Tup's came down in loose strands, looping down to brush his shoulders while the ends where still twisted somewhere in the knot. It would be impressively long when unwound properly and not just falling out. His hand dropped down to squeeze his shoulder in comfort, sitting still like this until Tup pulled back to wipe his eyes with the hem of his shirt. He took the chance to meet his eyes and give a small smile. "It'll be okay. I know you feel alone, but you're not. It doesn't go away and you'll never forget them, but it stops hurting as much with time." He got to his feet and offered a hand. "Come to bed. You'll feel better with some sleep."

Tup accepted the assistance to his feet and then trailed after him towards the quarters. As he went to walk on towards his own bunk, he felt a hand on his arm.

Fives had reached out to stop him silently, indicating the bunk below his own. He looked a little torn, but his voice was soft and sure. "It was Echo's bunk, but there's no sense in it staying unused. It's been months now…" He looked across to where Tup's pod had been sleeping. "It's good to be among brothers even when you're grieving losses. It'd be nice to share the space with someone again as well…" He climbed up onto his own bunk and pulled the blanket up, leaving the decision open.

After a few seconds Tup pulled back the perfectly tucked blanket of Echo's bunk and slipped under. It smelled different to what he was used to. The minute differences in scent between himself and another man; it smelled of a brother he had never known. It was comforting to be close to other sleeping bodies though. He'd felt the loss unbearably when he lay down in his own bunk, staring at the emptiness around him, at least here he had Fives above him, and Rex and Coric opposite. The sounds of their steady breathing was comforting. He stared up at the underside of the bunk above. "Thank you, Fives." He closed his eyes and breathed in the unfamiliar but comforting smell. "Some time, when you're ready, will you tell me about Echo?" He listened to Fives shuffling about to get comfortable.

"Just try to stop me, brother!"

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_Thanks for taking the time to read - apologies for the length of this first chapter...I usually aim for the 1k word count per chapter but the flow of this one just made sense to keep going rather than breaking it into two chunks. I don't think there's anything in the episodes which suggests that Tup and Dogma are podbrothers - that's just for the sake of story. They were obviously a little closer and Dogma had the confidence to push Tup more than he did the older, more experienced clones._

_I know where the next few chapters are going and hopefully will get them up soon. This time next week I'll have sat my final exam and be finished my degree so writing can get going again. Took a night off today to write this up. _

_More chapters to come soon on Red Eyes and a follow up shaping up in my head. _

_A few chapters of the Atin Bralor story should be coming up soon too - focused probably on the clan relationship towards Vau and Vau's own feelings towards the abandonment of Sev on Kashyyyk and advancements on that theme. _

_So hopefully plenty to come soon. Can't wait for the degree to be over. 90 page dissertation submitted and it put me off words for a few days! But I'm back rolling again._

_~ Atin_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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_There are no children_

_only younger versions_

_of those nearly done._

_Good likenesses_

_of the same lack_

_of a warm side_

_of the same limited repertoire_

_of mannerisms_

_of the same inflexibility_

_of lifespans._

_**Fossils (3) by Viggo Mortensen**_

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It was extremely late... or early when Fives finally made it back to the quarters. He had been on planet for a few days doing reconnaissance work, and when he returned it seemed to be endless streams of meetings to attend. The significance of the planet was unknown to him; as always, he -the clone-' was expected just be do as he was told and have no interest in the bigger picture. It never worked that way of course because the bigger picture often held the information that let you know your chances of success and survival. Too often they were sent to walk in to a death trap purely so that the Grand Amy of the Republic could make a show of posturing towards the enemy. Sometimes posturing worked, but too often it led to the meaningless deaths of so many of his brothers.

He pondered these thoughts on life as a trooper and the associated injustices as he showered before bed. He was alone at this time of night; everyone else was either fast asleep or on shift. He had missed the company in the barracks while his trooper brothers had been deployed. It was always stressful to return from doing reconnaissance and watch them ship out; trusting his work to give the commanders detail. It made him feel like he was responsible when things went wrong.

It was a heavy weight on his conscience.

Fortunately, this time his brothers had returned relatively unharmed. Kenobi's troops had been harder hit but fatalities were low. The evac had been prompt enough to get all but the most badly injured back to the medbay treatment.

The sound of slumbering troopers was comforting as he returned to the bunks in his fatigues. Rex and Coric were both asleep with their backs to the hall, and Jesse was snoring like a saw, stretched flat out on the mattress. He hadn't yet seen Kix or Tup, but when they were settling back in to patterns of training and shifts again after conflict it could often be the case that their paths rarely crossed for a few days. It was probable that Kix was on duty in the medbay since there was an influx of injured clones. Tup was usually on the same shift rotation as Jesse, but it could always be the case that Jesse was on medical discharge but with enforced rest.

He clambered up to his bunk, smiling at the untidy blankets on his brother's. Tup didn't keep it meticulously tidy like Echo had but that was quite comforting in itself; it was good to be able to draw differences between his close brothers. Echo had always been calm, quiet and dependable. Tup, on the other hand could be a ball of nervous energy; a competent and brave soldier, but often lacking confidence in his own abilities. He fought well as part of the unit but took confidence from the more experienced troopers around him. When he panicked, he froze...and that was a dangerous reaction to have in the midst of a battle. He hadn't done this on Umbara, but the trauma affected everyone differently. It had knocked Tup's confidence and left him stuttering to a halt when he felt out of his depth. It was a very dangerous reaction to have but confidence could be rebuilt and they did their best to lookout for each other.

Fives lay on his back with his hands clasped behind his head, listening to the mechanical drone of the engines and the increasingly irritating noises from Jesse. Eventually the minutes built up and he found he'd been staring at the ceiling for nearly an hour. With a heavy sigh he pulled himself upright and slid out of bed, pausing at the shared drawer under their bunks to find his data pad. He had deliberately left it alone since his return since the files had all been transferred to superiors and going over and over them himself just stressed him out about what might be the overarching plan for his brothers. No...as soon as the data was sent, he stepped back, for the sake of his own sanity.

_His job had been done._

But now boredom and insomnia made him reach for the source of torment.

As he opened the drawer he was shocked to find Tup's armour squeezed in to the space. Neither of them kept their plates locked away; it was easier for each pod of bunks to store weapons and armour together and keep the limited drawer space for more personal items. Each bay of bunks had an allotted space for communal storage because clone troopers were nothing if not organised.

If both Tup's armour _and_ fatigues were neatly folded in the drawer then that indicated that wherever the trooper currently was his clothing was not of great importance.

_Osik..._

It only took him a few milliseconds to put two and two together and draw the worrying conclusion.

_Medbay...he's in the medbay._

Without bothering to change in to his armour he took off towards the door at a speedy but silent trot. He was angry with himself for not making the connection already but it was common not to see each other at times like this so he had thought little of it. They didn't keep much in their drawer of personal belongings and it would never cross his mind to look among his brother's possessions. There was little to no privacy in the life of clone troopers so they always made a point of giving it wherever possible. It was a life of constant contact, constant exploitation of their enhanced genetic desire for close company. They had grown up together, trained together; eaten, slept and bathed together. They had experienced every emotional and physiological change of maturity at double the normal human rate, and all under stifling medical examination. They were a project to the kaminoans; constantly under invasive testing and scrutiny. Any tiny comfort they could provide each other was most welcome, but after the outbreak of war the close bonds between squads of brothers were quickly severed by the high mortality rates.

Most had now lost their initial squad mates. Fives had... Tup had... some of the older troopers had close brothers, like Kix and Jesse, or the Captain and Coric... but they weren't childhood squad mates. It was the important step of keeping the brotherhood going.

And somehow overlooking his bunk mates absence seemed like a huge failing in Fives' mind. He felt sick with himself; they should have each other's back both on and off battlefield.

He cautiously pushed open the doors to the medbay, instantly hit by the smell of antiseptic. It was an unpleasant smell that harked back to medical exams and more recently, pain filled returns from battle. It was relatively quiet with the only noises being the electronic sounds of machinery and the steady breathing of men asleep. He paused to look right towards the shining white medbay, but decided to head left towards the bacta facilities in search of the medics on duty. He found Kix sitting at the desk just inside the doors slumped over a pile of paperwork. His left arm was bound in bandages and resting in a sling across his chest; he looked exhausted.

Fives came to a halt at his side, dropping a hand on to the medic's shoulder then pulling it back quickly upon hearing his sharp intake of breath; the older clone's injuries obviously extended beyond his arm. "Sorry, Kix, I'm looking for Tup. He isn't in your medbay by any chance?" He squatted down by his side, giving him a concerned look. "Are you okay? Should you be on duty like this…"

Kix shrugged and winced, rubbing his shoulder absently. "I'm fine. I'm just taking it easy and not doing any heavy work." He motioned to his elbow and shoulder with his free hand. "Didn't move when I should have done – just a simple dislocation and over extension of the elbow; nothing broken, just a bit untrustworthy until it has a few days to strengthen. Bacta's working its magic." He seemed a little distracted, lost in the moment. "Got the brother back here but lost him before we got him in a tank. He was 212th; they took a real hit this time. We did all we could. Their senior medic is in bacta and another two are out of action. So I'm doing my best here…splitting the time with Coric." He had the haunted look that was all too familiar on the faces of medics after battle. They felt every loss personally after spending their time trying to save every life. He nodded towards the rows of tanks. "Tup's in tank N-5, but he's due out before I finish my shift. He's been in since we returned. Shrapnel laceration; bit of internal damage and a hell of a scar but he's healing up. I'm cutting his tank time short because he's getting distressed and I don't want to keep filling him full of sedative because he fights it. It must be his first serious time in bacta." He stood up slowly and led him down the corridor to the correct row and then passed the first four tanks till they reached the younger trooper. He pointed at the read out on the tank. "Heart rates up again…it happens every time the sedative starts to wear off. I can't keep giving him more or his vitals will plummet too much. He's not an easy patient. He was pretty calm when I stabilised him on planet but he panicked when we filled the tank. It does bother some brothers…it's not unheard of, but I think he'd do better out. He might heal a little slower but on balance, it's for the best."

Fives stepped forward to place a hand on the cool surface of the tank. "I'll help you. I can help him get washed up and save your arm any strain." He stared in to Tup's half open eyes, wishing he could reach through the transparisteel and touch him. "I should have been here days ago. I didn't realise he was injured…I just assumed he was one opposite shifts to me." He watched the rapidly pulsing read out, trying to measure it against his own heartbeat. It was racing in comparison to his own resting rate. "How can he be thrumming like that and still completely still and steady?" It was disturbing to practically feel the blinking light hammering in his chest; it would be like palpitations.

Kix stepped beside him and ran through the full readout again. "He's only still because he's got enough muscle relaxants in him to floor a bantha. If not he'd be thrashing himself to injury in that tank. I know it sounds horrible but it was for his own safety. It's not ideal because that's probably doing nothing to help his panic about being trapped…" He rubbed a hand over his eyes, looking particularly tired and drawn. "It's the only way I can treat him. I'm not up to subduing a panic right now."

"Drain him down and I'll get him to bed for you. He'll be okay when you let him out…he's not a violent trooper normally but he's extremely nervy. He will get more and more worked up if he can't react to something." He breathed a sigh of relief as Kix nodded and turned to the control panel for the row of tanks, getting ready to activate the drain down. He tried to keep his eyes on Tup's, hoping to silently convey some form of calming influence. The trooper's hair had been released from its knot and floated in a surprisingly delicate manner around his shoulders; completely at odds with his muscular physique. It was amazing what a difference it made to his appearance, removing it from the harsh, military neat style.

The thick fluid began to flow from the tank, visible as a drop in level from the top.

"I've given the reversal agent. Unfortunately it'll wear off quicker than the tank drains – he will panic." Kix turned to look over his shoulder, his hand on the control panel. "When the tank is empty I'll retract the walls. He needs to be released from the harness and I'll remove the IV lines and the breather. He mustn't thrash himself around or he'll open up the wound and we'll be back to stage one, okay?"

Fives nodded, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, watching as the fluid level dropped. He kept his eyes on Tup's, aware of him becoming more alert as the seconds passed. He saw him blink suddenly and the muscles across his shoulders twitched in an attempt at movement. "Easy, brother, easy; we'll have you out soon." He smiled, moving his fingers in a slow pattern in an attempt to keep the troopers attention on himself rather than the changes in the tank, but it was a failed attempt.

As the fluid dropped, the change in sensation was enough to hasten the younger clones return to consciousness. He began to struggle against the harness and numerous lines connecting him to the machine. His eyes were wide with fear and as his muscles came back under his own control, the first thing he did was reach up to tear the lines from his arms and yank the breather away from his mouth. Of course, without the oxygen supply he was immediately drowning in the thick fluid, opening his mouth to cry out in fear and swallowing mouthfuls.

"Kix!" Fives stepped back and called in worry to the medic, feeling his own fear rising as he was helpless to do anything. "Kix, get these walls down, he's suffocating!"

Kix held off for a fraction of a second then hit the emergency over ride to retract the tank walls. The thick fluid spilled in to the halfway, soaking them both as they struggled forward. Fives had Tup in a firm grip before he could thrash himself to further injury, allowing Kix to release him from the harness and let him drop slowly to his knees on the floor. Kix was on his knees beside him, his own injuries temporarily forgotten about as they worked together to get him stable. He needed to administer the rest of the reversal drugs which would allow him to breathe without the forced oxygen. Fives held his arm in a firm grip so that Kix could inject the medication without getting thumped for his trouble.

The reaction was almost instantaneous and Tup jerked in Fives' grasp, braced on his hands and knees to cough and gasp in air, trembling with both adrenaline and chill, now completely bare and exposed to the air outside of the bacta warmth.

Fives took the blanket from Kix and wrapped it around his brother, still kneeling by his side to comfort him. "It's okay, Tup, you're safe…you're safe…just relax, brother." His own heart was hammering after that disastrous execution of the plan. He patted his brother's back as he retched up the bacta that he had gulped down. "That's it, you're okay. I don't know if I'm okay…or if Kix is okay…but you're safe, I promise." He managed to flash a smile at the saturated and panting medic. "Best laid plans, hmm vod…best laid plans."

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_**Thanks for reading. Finally got going with this story again. ~ Atin**_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

For a terrifying moment Tup thought that he was going to drown; even after being released from the viscous fluid, he still couldn't control his muscles to expel the mouthfuls he'd inhaled and swallowed. If he had control, he would have been hysterical but all he could do was slump to the floor in his brother's grip. His chest was tight and painful until the sharp prick heralded the delivery of the final reversal agents.

The leaden feeling in his chest eased away and he was able to jerk his muscles, coughing and choking up lungful's of foul tasting bacta. The only thoughts running through his mind was the need to get away; to get out the tank, to find safety.

But with the removal of the gentle buoyancy of the bacta came another issue - the laceration around his left hand side was stinging tight and the internal pain gnawing. It was all he could do to draw breath, curling his arms around his ribs protectively and double over. Someone had untied his hair before placing him in bacta and he was thankful for that because it would have been hell to untangle from its topknot once full of sticky bacta.

He curled in tighter, his hand gripping tightly to the ones supporting him around his waist. It was worth being out of bacta but the pain was so bad and he could hardly get the air in his lungs to make a noise. "K..K.." He tried to get the medics name out but couldn't.

Kix patted his arm and gently touched the torn skin where the IV lines had been ripped free. "Easy, Tup. You need pain relief, I understand, but I need to get a line in again." He tried to pry the arm free from around the trooper's painful abdomen but it was like trying to move stone. "Tup, listen to me, try to relax." He tried again but his damaged arm ached too much to pull with much force. He looked up at the ARC. "Fives, can you help me please? Carry him to a bunk so I can get some drugs running in."

Fives nodded, shifting position so that he could get his arms around the younger trooper; one supporting his back and the other under his knees so that he could lift him cradled, keeping him in the same curled position. "C'mon Tup, you're okay vod'ika."

It didn't matter how gentle he tried to be, Tup still cried out in pain when he was lifted clear of the ground. Ever step was an agonizing jolt and he was sure his nails would rip through the material of his brother's fatigues. He wanted to get out of this medbay and away from the smell of antiseptic and fear. He squawked as he was lowered on the mattress, his arm immediately in Kix's grip. The sharp scratch made him jerk and he pulled away, forcing Kix to move with him, keeping a firm grip on his IV.

Fives gripped his shoulder and wrist to keep him still while the line was secured in place and the pain relief injected in to his vein. He stroked his younger brother's sticky shoulder with his thumb to soothe him. He knew some men struggled with their first serious medbay experience, but Tup was so nervy that he was reacting in a much more frantic manner.

The door to the medbay swung open and they both looked up, snapping to attention when their commander stepped through.

She coughed politely and fixed her gaze on the far wall.

Kix suddenly realised what she was hinting at and searched for the blanket but it seemed to have been lost in transit between the tank and bunk so he grabbed one from the next bed and laid it over Tup's sprawled, naked body. "Apologies, Commander, what can I do for you?" He stepped away from the bunk to approach her, disposing of his used syringe as he went.

Ahsoka let her eyes return to them, scrutinizing Kix's bandaged limb. "You should be resting, Kix, you're not invincible." She handed him a bundle of flimsy. "Reports for you, and I need yours as soon as they're available. Have you been writing up for the 212th as well?"

Fives managed to stifle a snort of frustration. _Look after yourself, Kix...but do this, that and the next thing for us AND for the 212th too. Just because there was only Coric and Kix just now didn't mean that they could pick up the extra workload. It was hard enough for them to keep up with the physical demands of caring for the injured and ill men_. He let go of Tup's arm and moved up behind Kix to give him moral support, resting a discreet hand against his back.

Within moments of Fives moving away, Tup had thrashed away from the medical lines in his arms and the sterile whiteness. He was so violent in his actions that he completely lost his balance and would have toppled heavily to the floor if it weren't for Fives making a leap to grab him. He still fell, but the descent was slower and he didn't crash to the ground like he would have done. It was still painful to be grabbed and he cried out, swearing loudly and collapsing on to his back on the cold floor, thumping his fist off the leg of the bed in frustration. He couldn't help his actions; the medbay made his skin crawl and he felt queasy with the heady smells of antiseptic and sterilising fluid, and blood. He shut his mouth firmly and breathed slowly through his nose, swallowing a few times and banging his head back against the floor. He felt Fives' hands slip under his head, stopping him from hurting himself in frustration.

Kix had moved in to squeeze in around them and the legs of the beds on either side. He placed his good hand on Tup's arm, giving him the reassurance of his presence. Their brother needed to know that he was safe, but everything about the medbay seemed to be telling him otherwise. "Tup, don't be silly, vod'ika. You're going to undo all my work and if I can't control you I will be forced to sedate you again, I'm trying to help you here."

Ahsoka hovered anxiously, wanting to see if she could do anything to help but there was no room for her to get close. "What's wrong with him, Kix?" She wasn't entirely clued up on these newer recruits to the squad, but she cared for all the men regardless of their age or experience. She had Tup marked in her mind as a potential issue because of his closeness to Dogma on Umbara but since then Fives seemed to have taken him under his wing and helped him slot in with the rest of the squad, boosting his confidence whenever possible.

Kix sat back on his heels, dragging the blanket back down to wrap the trooper up, more for her sake than anyone elses. "The medbay can be a little traumatic for some troopers, especially those who've never had a serious injury before. Tup's just displaying symptoms of..."

"He's scared, sir." Fives cut in over Kix's rambling explanation, fighting to keep the frustration from his voice. "Being injured and carted off the battlefield with potentially fatal injuries is scary. Waking up in pain is scary. The knowledge that you may be deemed too injured to be worth helping is scary. Fighting to get well quick enough is scary. Being split from your brothers is scary." He ground to a halt and had to bite the inside of his cheek to calm down. _He kept thinking of Echo, left behind because the Jedi ordered them to leave. Maybe he could have been saved. Maybe I could have at least have eased his passing. He was scared and alone...in pain..._ "He's terrified, sir, it's that simple." He looked away because he couldn't trust himself not to give away his annoyance in his expression - but then of course they could dig in your mind and tell what you were thinking anyway.

He felt Kix squeeze his arm in a mix of understanding and warning.

Ahsoka did her best to ignore the barrage of emotions. Fives was extremely attached to this brother and his anger, frustration and emotional attachment was all too clear to feel in the force. He wanted to take away his brother's fear and pain, but nobody could do that. Something else was eating away at his mind but she didn't pry any deeper. A trooper's mind was his only place of privacy and she did her best not to invade that. "I could try to help him..."

"No!" Fives' reply was too loud and abrupt, and Kix's grip tightened even more. "No, sir, that doesn't help him in the long term. Mind games just get normal people in to a mess." He knew he was walking a fine line and he needed to shut up before he got reprimanded.

"Okay..." Ahsoka took a step back to ease the subconscious pressure on him. "Well, there is another option, if Kix permits it." She motioned to the flimsy that had been discarded on the end of the bed. "Those are reports of the incoming units, specifically the medical notes, but there's a reshuffle going on to make space. Our squads are being moved in to the smaller rooms to make space for the new units. They're making up losses and it seems best to keep the new in the communal barracks until they are formed up." She winced at the waves of anger radiating from Fives' and even the frustration from Kix. She'd called them 'units', not men. "Ehm, maybe it would be okay for Tup to return to barracks and be treated there since it's going to be a small room and less jostling and...high spirits. It'll be you three, Jesse and Coric. There are six to a room but I anticipate Rex wanting to join you. He technically has an officer's cabin but he only seems to want to work there - he doesn't like being split from his squad for any length in time, so the space has been left for him, informally." She looked to Kix for his opinion. "Do you think Tup could be treated from the squad cabin? There'd always be someone there to help him and the fresher is just shared with six of you so he's not having to deal with any jostling or busy environments. What do you think?"

Kix looked from her to his patient, his brow furrowing as he thought about it. It wasn't standard operating procedures - but it would be best chance for Tup to relax and heal. If he had to sedate him again it would have to be heavy sedation and that wasn't good or the trooper over a long period of time. It would only enhance his fears of being trapped; he just wouldn't be able to move to act out his desire to escape. He came to the only logical conclusion in his mind and looked up at her. "I think that would be a very good idea, Commander. Well done."

* * *

**_So it took far too long to update this...too many things going on at once. Pressure makes diamonds... _**

**_Thanks for reading. ~ Atin_**


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